Shoe-button.



G. F. THAYER.

SHOE BUTTON.

APPLICATION man AUG.25. l9l7.

l ,256, 6 1 Patented Feb, 19, 1918.

INVENTOR 'UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE GRANVILLE F. CPI-LAYER,v OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO M AND T BUTTON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

SHOE-BUTTON.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE F. TI-IAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Buttons, of which the following is a SPBClllcation.

My invention relates to shoe-buttons and consists of improvements in the form and structure thereof. The object of my improvement is to provide a button which may be more readily and easily released in unbuttoning it, without unduly stretching, straining or tearing the edges of the buttonhole.

In carrying out the improvement I provide the head of the button witlnsloping sides, giving the under portion of 1ts body substantially the shape of an inverted, truncated cone which acts with a wedgmg efiect in passing it through the button-hole.

This novel and improved form and structure of the button is described in detail in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts. In the drawings I 0 Figure 1 is an enlarged, side view of my improved button;

Fig. 2, a sectional view taken on the vertical axis of the head, showing the method of securing the eye thereto and illustrating the manner in which the button sets in thebutton-hole; and

Fig. 3, an inverted, plan view of the button.

Referring to the drawings, my improved shoe-button B as here shown comprises a head or bean H molded from paper, fiber or similar pulp-like material, combined with awire shank or fastening-eye S bent into the form of a U-shaped loop and joined to the head at its base. Heretofore, the usual style of button employed for fastening shoes has been constructed with a head or bean of substantially elliptical shape in crosssection having a relatively broad, flaring base from which projects a ring-shaped eye formed with a narrowed neck or shanlcat its point of joinder with the head. \Vltll Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19,1918.

Serial No. 188,197.

this latter type of button the button-hole fits closely around the reduced neck of the eye with its margin bearing against the relatively flat, under side of the bean or head. In unbuttoning the shoe its flap is grasped at the edge and pulled outwardly to slide the button-hole over the periphery of the button. Now, when the button is made with a head having a broad, flaring base, as above described, the margin of the button-hole cannot be easily spread out around its sides and released therefrom. That is to say, this shape of head tends to resist the opening of the button-hole around the button and hence considerable force must be exerted to unbutton the flap, while the button-hole is liable to be stretched, strained and torn at its edges. After the button-hole becomes torn or frayed it will not hold the button properly, and besides this presents an unsightly appearance which detracts from the neatness of the shoe.

To avoid these disadvantages of the ordinary shoe-button I propose constructing my improved type with a head having sloping sides, or, more particularly, with its underbody taking the form of a truncated cone. In this way I adapt the under part of the head to serve substantially as a wedge, whereby when it is unbuttoned it acts to spread the sides of the button-hole apart to ease the marginal edges thereof over the outer periphery of the button. As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the head H of the button is shaped with a crowned top If, having a considerable degree of convexity to give it an ornamental appearance, while below the crown the sides a slope or taper inwardly at a sharp angle to form the inverted cone-shaped underbody C. The sides of the cone C are preferably straight, as shown in Fig. 2, although if desired they might be slightly rounded or convexed, but not to any considerable extent as this would tend to flatten the whole base of the head and thereby defeat the purpose at which the improvement is aimed. The sides 0 of the cone C merge into the crowned top If at the periphery p of the head H with a sweep or curve of relatively short radius, while at the bottom of the head H the vertex abjlytleriched or riveted over atthe top as shown at s, s,-Fig. 2. It is to be particu-, larly noted that the opposite sides'of the eye are straight and parallel and that they o1n the head at points contiguous to the marginal edge of the fiat base .7), see Fig.

3. In other words, the extreme width across the'eye S, from the outside of one leg Z to the outside of theother leg Z, is exactly equal 2 tothe diameter of the rim of the base I).

Thisfeature of arrangement is particularly important as providing that when the eye S is seated in the button-hole f of the flap, F, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer end e of the button-hole will lie outside of the rim of the base 6. That is to say, the circular end-portion ofthe button-hole is maintained away from the edge of the flattened base I) so that its margin will not meet with any obstructionin passing up over the tapering sides of the head H. Thus, it'will be seen that when the outer edge of the fiap F 1s pulled upwardly the sloping sides 0 of the head .H will act against the marginal edges of the button-hole to spread them apart and ease them overthe outer periphery p of the button.

The parallel arrangement of the legs'Z, Z

of the staple or eye b further provides for 40 greater facility in driving it into the head H.

Heretofore. it has been the usual custom to cross-the. legs ofthe staple where they enter thebaseofthebutton and to drive them 1 n at an'anglewiththeir ends diverging. It is obvious that if the two ends of thestaple are. driven into the head of the button at an 7 inclination they will enlarge the openings where they'enter so that the joint has an unfinishedappearance. On the other hand,

withthe present form of eye or staple the legs are driven into the base of the button in a right-line or perpendicular thereto so that the holeswhich they enter are not enlarged or distorted and hence the joint has a muchneater and more finished appearance. It Will be'observed from the foregoing that the particular feature of improvement of the present invention resides in shaping the lower body of the button-head H with tapering sides and in joining the loop or staple S thereto with ,its'legs entering the flat base contiguous to its circumferential rim. As is well known,the button-hole is usually formed with a narrow'slit and an enlarged, circular' opening'atitsouter end with the marginal edges reinforced by stitching. The enlarged end of the button-hole is of suflicient width to receive the base I) of the button with a slight clearance, and. itsv outer end bears against one side of the eye S when the flap F is buttonedthereover as shown in Fig. 2. Now, when it isdesired to unbutton the flap F the circular opening at the end of the button-hole rides easily over the rim of the base 6 and av very slight pull will serve to spread it out around the head H as the lower, conifcal portion thereof acts to Wedge its edges apart. Inthi's'waythe flap F may be readily unbuttoned without straining, stretching or tearing the button-holes and therefore the so shoe-upper does not become worn or unsightly in appearance. I I

I am awarethat it has before: been pro- I posed to provide shoe-button' witha projectin'g'ne'ck or collar onits underside which enters between the sidesof the button-hole to prevent the eye from wearing itsedges. This form of button has not been entirely practical in use, however, since its neck is so slight that it rides out of the button-hole v and the edge therefore bears against the eye wheirthe flap isunder tension. Furthermore, as'the neck merges "into the'sidesof'the button-head with a relatively sharp, ogee curve a shoulder or ledge is formed which presents an obstruction to the sides of the button-hole when the flap is unbuttoned and therefore prevents a free and easyrelease' of' the button. In my present improvement there'are no shoulders or'ledges on theunder side of the button to catchth'e :edges "of: the button-holeandlhencethe button will slide easily therethrough as itstapering sides'act to spreadthe opening apart.

What I claim.is: V V

' l. Animpro'ved shoe button'comprisin'g a head shaped with. a convexly crown edntop and substantially straight slopinglsides tapering. inwardly from the periphery of the head and terminating in a. flat circular'base, and a U-shaped eye formed with parallel legs inserted in the base. of the head with'its sides tangent to the circumferential rim thereof. x

2. An improved shoe button comprising a head shaped with a convexly crowned top and substantially straight-sloping sides tapering" inwardly from thelperiphery" of the head, with the'under part of thebutton formed substantially'as an inverted trun cated cone, and a wireeye joined to the head. with its sides contiguous'to the edgeof'its fiat circular base.

3. An improved shoe-button comprising a head shaped with a roundedtop and substantially flat inwardly 'taperingsides forming a'conical .underbodv terminating in'a fiat circular base, anda U-shaped' wire staple havin'gstraighti parallel legs. driven into the base at its 'rim' in perpendicular relation thereto with the ends of the staple clenched cone, truncated at its vertex to provide a fiat over the top of the head to secure it therein. circular base, and a Wire loop joined to the 4. An improved shoe-button comprising a head with its sides tangent to the circum- 10 head shaped with a convexly crowned top ferential rim thereof.

5 and fiat sloping sides merging into the top In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

at the periphery of the head and tapering inwardly therefrom to form an inverted GRANVILLE F. THAYER.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

